richards



No. 6l3,3l3. Patented Nov. I, I898. W. F. RICHARDS.

LOCOMOTIVE TENDER COUPLING.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

N0. 6I3,3| 3. Patented Nov. I898. W. F. RICHARDS.

LOCUMOTIVE TENDER CUUPLING.

. I (Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.)

QNo Model.)

2 Shets-Sheet 2.

2min ym Wm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCOMOTIVE-TENDE R COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,313, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed April 18, 1898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD F. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locomotive-Tender Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a car-coupler designed more especially for the tenders of lo cornotives.

The automatic couplers now generally in use on passenger-cars are those known as the Miller coupler and the twin-jaw or verticalplane type of coupler adopted by the Master Car-Builders Association.

The object of my invention is to provide a tender-coupler which can be used interchangeably with a Miller or a Master Oar-Builders coupler, so that the tender can be coupled to a car equipped with either of these couplers, and which can be quickly converted from one form to the other.

' In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved coupler applied to a tender in the form of a Miller coupler, the adjacent portion of the tender being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the coupler with the attaching-pin of the shank shown in section. Fig. 3 is a face view of the end sill of the tender and the base-plate which carries the coupler. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section in line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a hori- Zontal section in line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view similar. to Fig. 2, showing the coupler in the form of a Master Car-Builders coupler.

' Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the end sill of a locomotive-tender. B is an upright base-plate secured centrally to the face thereof by bolts b or other means and provided with a central horizontal socket B, which projects forwardly-from the baseplate. This socket is stiffened by suitable ribs b.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, D is the draw-bar or shank of a car-coupler of the Miller type, which is pivoted at its inner end in the socket B of the base-plate B by an upright removable pin e, passing through the shank and the top and bottom of said socket, so that the Serial No. 677.972. (N0 model.)

shank is capable of swinging laterally when the nose of its hook D is deflected by the nose of an opposing coupler in making an automatic coupling in a we11-known manner. The pivoted end of the shank is preferably offset or arranged on the same side of the longitudinal center line of the shank as the nose of the hook D, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The shank is provided on its rear portion 0pposite'said oifset end with a laterally-extending lug or arm F, to which are applied righting-springs g g. The lug or arm F is formed with a horizontal sleeve or socket f, which receives said righting-springs, and which has an internal Web f.

h is a bolt or rod passing through the sleeve f and through an opening in the Web f and attached at its inner end to the base-plate preferably by seating its head h loosely in an undercut slot or recess h extending inwardly from the side of the base-plate B, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the bolt can be readily detached from the plate by sliding it laterally out of said recess. The righting-springs g g surround this bolt, and the inner spring bears at its ends against the web of the sleeve f and the base-plate B, respectively, while the outer spring bears at its inner end against said web and at its outer end against a nut or washer applied to the bolt. When the coupler is deflected laterally in either direction, one or the other of the righting-springs is compressed, and as soon as the coupler is relieved from pressure the compressed spring returns the coupler to its central position. The socket B of the base-plate is open on that side thereof which faces the rightingsprings, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and the shank extends through the open side of the socket.

I is a guard-horn or guide arranged on the base-plate adjacent to the pivoted end of the coupler-shank and on the same side of the shank as its hook D. This horn serves to direct the hook of an opposing coupler into engagement with the coupler and assists in keeping the hooks interlocked.

Upon withdrawing the pivot-pin e the couplerD can be removed laterally from the socket B of the base-plate, together with the centering-springs g g and the bolt it, connected therewith, the said bolt slipping laterally out of the slot or recess in the base-plate, as hereinbefore described. A Master Car-Builders coupler having a comparatively short shank D similar to that of the Miller coupler and carrying similar lateral righting-sprin gs g g and a supporting-bolt h can now be inserted in the socket of the base-plate in place of the removed Miller coupler, as shown in Fig. 6, the shank of the coupler being pivoted in the socket by the same pin e and the bolt carrying the righting-sprin gs being of the same dimensions as that of the Miller coupler and engaged with the same slotted recess h of the base-plate. In the Master Oar-Builders coupler the short shank coincides with the longitudinal center line of the coupling, and the laterally-extending arm or lug F which carries the bolt h and the rightingsprings is somewhat larger than that of the Miller coupler, as shown in Fig. 6. By this construction the two couplers can be interchanged as occasion may require, and as they are not attached to the tender by permanent bolts or other positive means, but by simple removable fastenings, they can be quickly and conveniently changed.

The hook of the Miller coupler may be rigid or integral with the shank, but in order to facilitate uncoupling the hook is preferably pivoted thereto by an upright pinj and held in its normal position by a suitable look, so that upon unlocking the hook it is free to swing outward out of engagement wit-h the hook of an opposing coupler. In the construction shown in the drawings the hook is provided in rear of its pivot with a tailpiece or locking-arm k, and a longitudinally-sliding lock Z is employed, which engages normally with the front side of said tailpiece, as shown in Fig. 5, and is yieldingly held in this position by a spring m, bearing against the rear end of the lock. The latter and its spring are seated in a longitudinal socket or cavity formed in the shank of the coupler, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The lock is retracted by an upright bell-crank lever 11, pivoted by a transverse pin '11, to the upper side of the shank. The lower arm of this lever extends through an opening in the top of the lock-cavity and engages in a recess in the upper side of the lock, as shown in Fig. 4, while the upper arm of the bell-crank leveris connected by a chain 0 with the arm 1) of an operating or rock-shaft P, journaled transversely on the sill of the tender and having end cranks or arms for turning it. In detaching the car-coupler from the tender the pivot-pin n of the op crating-lever is removed, so as to detach the lock-operating mechanism from the coupling.

The knuckle of the Master Oar-Builders coupler shown in Fig. 6 is held in its normal position by any similar lock which is operated by the same devices shown in connection with the Miller coupler.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a base-plate or support having a socket which is open at its side, of a removable coupler having its shank pivoted in said socket and provided with an arm or lug which projects laterally through the side opening of said socket, front and rear righting-springs which bear respectively against the front and rear sides of said arm or lug, and a supporting-bolt for said springs which is detachably secured at its rear end to said base-plate orsupport and which passes through said arm or lug and against which the front righting-spring abuts, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a base-plate or support, of a car-coupler having its draw-bar or shank pivoted to said base-plate or support and provided with a laterally-arranged longitudinal sleeve or socket having an internal web and righting-springs operating against opposite sides of said web, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a base-plate or support, of a car-coupler having its draw-bar or shank pivoted to said base-plate or support and provided with a laterally-arranged longitudinal sleeve or socket having an internal web, a bolt attached to said base-plate or support and extending through said sleeve and its web, an inner righting-spring applied to said bolt between the said base-plate and said Web, and an outer righting-spring applied to the bolt between said web and a nut or washer on said bolt, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a base-plate or support having a notch or recess at one side thereof, of a car-coupler having its draw-bar or shank removably pivoted to said base-plate or support and provided with a laterally-projecting arm or lug, a bolt removably interlocked with the notch or recess of said baseplate and passing through said arm or lug and righting-springs applied to said bolt and operating against opposite sides of said arm or lug, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a base-plate adapted to be attached to a tender or car and provided with a forwardly-projecting socket which is open at one side, of a car-coupler having its draw-bar or shank removably pivoted in said socket by an upright pin and provided with a laterally-projecting lug or arm, righting-springs applied to the front and rear sides of said lug or arm and a bolt passing through said righting-springs and said lug or arm and detachably connected to said base-plate or support, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 9th day of April,

WILLARD F. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, ELLA R. DEAN. 

